Top 5 Marketing Trends for 2016

December 2015

Top 5 Marketing Trends for your Business to focus on in 2016

With 2016 lingering at the doorstep, now is the time to really review what tactics worked and those that weren't so successful in 2015. Then, decide where to spend your all-important time and marketing budget throughout 2016, to ensure maximum results from your marketing and communication efforts.

Marketing continuously adjusts and reacts to frequent industry changes, opinions and ever-advancing technology. And digital marketing, in particular, has undergone substantial transformation within the last few years. With technical innovations driving consumer action in 2015, 2016 is expected to set the bar even higher for brands to stay ahead of the curve.

Marketing tactics

1. Content, content, content

Yes, content still remains king. Developing high quality, valuable and trusted website content should continue to be a priority for any business. Not only does good content provide relevant information to current customers and potential prospects, it also helps to develop trust, build a strong communication platform and enable your brand to be seen as an expert within the field. Good content is depicted as quality blogs and web pages, unique videos, infographics and images.

An important benefit to adding fresh, unique content to your site is the boost in search engine rankings. Of course, with the on-going advances in search engine optimisation (SEO) and Google algorithms, prioritising visual content on your website has a significant effect on your search engine rankings online. Premium content now focuses on quality content combined with keyword optimisation, rather than keyword optimisation as a stand-alone feature. Greater importance is therefore placed on the quality and relevancy of the content on each page, visitor intent and great visual impacts.

2. Say goodbye to an out-dated website

With increasing potential of creative innovations online, combined with heightened expectations for a good website, it is important for businesses to identify the effect of their online presence on their audience. No matter what the size or sector of your business, a modern, aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-use website it vital for your brand image. According to Google, that critical first impression for a visitor happens within the first 50 milliseconds on a page – literally within the blink of an eye. In addition, good design shapes the overall perception of the website and therefore the brand that is associated with it.

3. Expand social presence

Within today's social media focussed environment, it is hard to find any one brand without some form of social platform. However, it is the way in which these platforms are executed that is the important part of this realm. Social media requires a virtual conversation, back and forth between various contacts – allowing people to engage with one another over various discussions and topics. Businesses should focus on refining a thorough social media strategy, with an aim to develop relationships with valuable contacts and encourage trust. Spend time identifying topics that interest your target audience and offer a more personal approach that will spark conversation.

For further support and to discuss your social media strategy, contact us here.

4. Optimise for mobile

Ensuring your company website is mobile friendly, is now much more of a necessity than something that was once considered 'nice to have'. With many of us rarely seen without a mobile device in hand, an optimised digital presence is becoming more and more important in creating a seamless experience for customers. With mobile devices, including smart phones and tablets, becoming such an integral part of day-to-day life, many individuals turn to their device for shopping, research, comparing deals, identifying comparisons, finding a location and more importantly making a purchase. Therefore, making sure the overall user experience and functionality, on whatever device, is seen as a truly valuable investment for the future.

5. Virtual reality emerges

2016 will likely be one of the biggest steps forward for the realm of virtual reality and, as such, will become an important year for broader audiences to discover the exciting marketing tool. There are a range of virtual reality devices set to release within the next few years too, some of which are dedicated for specific applications including video games, product experiences and others which are available for general daily use.

Virtual reality devices are set to introduce a complete new medium of online advertising for many different business sectors. Combined with popular social media platforms, video channels and direct messaging platforms, the tech-based functionality will pave the way for customer experience and interaction. We have been introduced to some virtual reality devices already, incuding

The marketing industry, both online and offline, is complex and diverse, but a truly exciting one. At Areca Design, we love to keep up to date with the latest technology; hardware, software, user preferences and industry developments that can help our clients thrive, with innovative marketing support.